As per its State-wide stir schedule against the NDA Government at the Centre, Odisha’s ruling BJD on Tuesday staged demonstrations in all district headquarters protesting the “very low allocation” in the Union Budget for the State for 2015-16.
Party workers led by Badachana MlA Amar Prasad Satpathy, Dharmasala MlA Pranab Balabantray, Korei MlA Akash Das Nayak and Sukinda MlA Preeti Ranjan Ghadai while staging an agitation at the Jajpur Collectorate said the incumbent Modi Government has started neglecting Odisha in providing its legitimate share.
“While special assistance have been allocated to poll-bound West Bengal and Assam, then why Odisha which is also situated in eastern part of the country did not get special fund for development. Moreover, the 14th Finance Commission’s recommendation has made Odisha a great loser,” they said.
In Kendrapada, a protest meeting was organised where party leaders like Housing Board Chairman Pratap Deb, Kendrapara MlA Kishore Chandra Tarei, Dhruba Sahu, BJYD district president Nishikanta Pradhan outlined how the State has been allocated party allocation in the Union Budget.
Slamming the Centre for sideling Odisha’s special category status and Nabakalebar assistance, the leaders termed the Budget as anti-poor and anti-Odisha. They too compared allocation made Odisha with that of poll-bound States.
Similarly, hundreds of party workers led by western Odisha Development Council (WODC) Chairman Kishore Mohanty staged a demonstration in front of the district Collecorate at Jharsuguda.They submitted a memorandum for President Pranab Mukherjee through district Collector Parmeshwaran B.
In his speech, Mohanty said while West Bengal and Bihar have been provided with special package of over `20,000 crore, Odisha has been completely neglected.leaders like Tapas Rai Choudhury, Manoranjan Mohapatra, Jharsuguda Municipality Chairperson Harish Ganantra and BJD Youth president Trinath Gual participated.
Besides, BJD workers from different parts of the Sambalpur district gathered in front of the Collectorate and resented negligence meted out to Odisah in the Budget.“The Modi Government has deceived the people of Odisha,” alleged Redhakhol MlA Er Rohit Pujari in his speech.
Sambalpur MlA Dr Raseswari, Rengali MlA Ramesh Chandra Patua and SDA Chairman Bijay Mohanty too spoke.